1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an electro photographic image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a detachable process cartridge usable with an electro photographic image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, electro photographic image forming apparatuses, such as laser printers, copy machines, facsimile machines, or like, may use a process cartridge. The process cartridge may be formed so that a photosensitive medium on which an electrostatic latent image corresponding to printing data is formed, a developing member for supplying developer to the photosensitive medium to develop the electrostatic latent image into a visible image, and a developer storing chamber in which a predetermined amount of developer is received are formed as a single unit, and the single unit is formed as a cartridge type that may be removably installed in a main body of the image forming apparatus.
After the developer received in the developer storing chamber is completely consumed, the process cartridge is separated from the image forming apparatus, and a new process cartridge is installed in the image forming apparatus. In the process cartridge using a contact type developing method, the developing member may contact the photosensitive medium to form a developing nip (D in FIG. 2). In order to print a printed image having good quality by using the contact type developing method, the process cartridge is required to maintain a predetermined developing nip between the developing member and the photosensitive medium. Therefore, the process cartridge is sold in a state in which the developing member is uniformly spaced apart from the photosensitive medium.
Generally, the process cartridge may be provided to users in two states. First, when the image forming apparatus is sold, the process cartridge may also be sold in a state to be installed in the main body of the image forming apparatus. Second, the process cartridge may be sold independently of the image forming apparatus.